SeaMonkey

How awesome that you did this! I've dled the first version and run through a couple of turns, very impressive. Being it Summertime in the Coastal Bend, I don't wargame much, but this has really got my interest. You go ahead and make the tweaks, but I'm playing around with this first version for awhile. I love this concept, hope it works out, good imagination, its like a Civ game.

Obviously you guys "missed it"........I'm referring to Nupremal's mod as I just spent about an hour scrolling around the map and having a look at both sides deployments and possibilities, fricken awesome! Hope you have the time to play this monster it looks very captivating and will require a very substantial time committment, but knowing Nupremal's mods, it will be way worth it.

I tried earlier to post the cookie-cutter approach as I've been a witness to, but for some reason I'm having problems putting up a post of more that a couple of sentences, not sure why. But just for contemplating, imagine...that with the Italians' access to the Atlantic, Spain-Gibraltar Axis, at the beginning of 1942, the Axis navy can be composed of 6 BBs, 6 CAs, and 12 subs.

Marsult may be a newbie but this is a very good question and I believe ... a program order... for Hubert to create us a unit screen so that when we click on the unit to initiate a probable attack we can at that moment examine the properties. Cuts down on the clickfest.....always a good thing!

So what's your plan for the CVs Nup? IMO they should be at 0 for SA and TA so they only get that random hit on ground units due to the + or - 1 mechanism. I like the way David includes the light carriers with only one strike representing their reduced plane numbers. If you could somehow grant the CAGs an ability to accumulate experience, tweak their evasion or ???, then they would be much more effective towards the end game at ground attacks, as actually happened. Of course you are going to have anti-air units...right? Unfortunately they're a must with the current game conditions, I hope you'll allow a plentiful build limit for all sides, then you can keep the CAGs and TACs as effective as they are now. The escort thing is another facet that needs improvement. Escorts should be bounced and bombers take losses when encountering interceptors with greater strength, tech, morale and readiness. I do believe they'll get a double escort with the dual strike feature. But....what the hay, I'm just the eight hundred pound gorilla in the room.

Sure enough Snow, and don't forget sinking those MPPs into Diplo chits too......uhhhh....so much for that strong UK Colin alludes to.:confused:

Send him an email, I'm sure he will delight in showing you how its done! If Germany keeps all the Kriegsmarine in Baltic until the subs are teched to 3 and the USSR is neutralized in 42, with the TAC at LR, experience and NW, seems like the RN won't be around long. I'd like to hope I'm wrong, but my games have concluded differently.

Well .....for Rambo, IMO, he's right about the Axis in the original campaign, it's just like it was in SC1 because the game is in the USSR and the Germans can't be stopped. Been through this before, anybody remember "arby", "RB", Russ Bensing and I had a PBEM that illustrated exactly this point in SC1. The Germans, with the uber TAC, the accumulated experience from early campaigns and the jump in tech, are 90% of the time unstoppable. Only when that rare occurrence happens, when research evades them, does the score even up and the Allies have a chance. Same in Axis of Evil, the Axis take over the entire Eastern Hemisphere, only fun is taking it to the Allies. I keep saying it, time and again, we need the anti-air feature I've laid out. Rambo....we...are now on same page.

I guess my biggest beef with the research system is that the max levels are achieved too early. As far as I'm concerned the max levels should only be achieved in late 44, early 45 so probably a limit of one chit per category would be appropriate. This was done by Nupremal/Vypuero and I thought it worked out pretty well. It also provided some incentive to try other tech categories and I don't ever remember anyone getting more that a tech level ahead in any category. There is a mechanism for catch up as well as the ability of the players to put a max of 3 chits into any research category. As I was behind in IW also at 1 for the Soviets against 3 for the Germans, I put 3 chits in IW and finally achieved the max level in April of 42 for the Reds. Shortly after that the AT category was maxed, but still no movement there as we approach August with Nazi tanks rampant among the Red Army's ranks. So......presently......I'm of the opinion that only one chit max is allowed per category at anytime is the most appropriate solution....other than JDF2's scenario which requires a code rewrite.

I'm OK with this David, but ...really...don't you think that there was some clandestine maneuvering going on behind the scenes and actually, budget allocations for the armed forces were not accurately portrayed to the public? Come on think about it! As I remember reading there was a significant program of ship building going on in the Navy and it was reported in the newspapers from time to time. I'm sure some of those resources were redirected "other places". Shouldn't this be left up to the US player?

So Hubert an AV could essentially hover within supply proximity of a port forever? I'm thinking if so, the cramped conditions and inhospitable environment that AVs represent should eventually degrade the fighting abilities, I mean we're talking two week turns here. There should be a provision to make capturing nearby island/ports for staging amphibious operations a desirable action, as it was historically, to negate the degradation.

Perhaps Hubert, it just didn't seem as great as before, I could be mistaken. I've got a model setup to check it, so I'll report later, just wondering if anyone else has observed it. I haven't had a lot of time to play lately.

Yeah CS just wait, how about "significant slowdown" = 0

I hope the patch comes soon as I'm quite embarrassed about what the German AI has done in USSR, made Smolensk in two turns. This is the greatest disparity in research levels I have ever been exposed to in SC. Germany has both level 3 IW and HT while the Reds are still without an advancement in AT. The AI has 8 PanzerKorps and about 18 armies in USSR presently and they are eliminating 5 Red Army units per turn. :eek:The weather didn't even help as the invasion kicked off in March of 42 and has been clear ever since. The Dnepr has been breached, Luftwaffe is bombing Leningrad with the Heer just outside in the suburbs, and panzers have spotted the spires of the Kremlin......really bleak! Now couple all this with the IJA at level 3 IW also, they have swept Burma and are poised to invade India. All the Allied MPPs have been used up trying to equal out the tech edge and there are very few units available to stem the tide, and with the extra experience afforded to the AI and the plethora of units at its disposal I don't see I have a chance.......whoa is me! I need a restart.......hurry with that patch!

Don't forget Bombers reduce entrenchment levels X2, except in cities and permanent fortifications.

Actually you can produce three FJs for Germany.

Hubert, whatever happened to the degradation to readiness and morale that AVs used to experience when at sea for extended periods? And I checked the pass-through features for subs...it is working as designed.

My opponents have been fortifying the area around London and especially the tiles next to ports, no Sealion possible under those conditions unless I get to him earlier which I need to work on getting France out sooner. RN waits out of range and my TAC are not strong enough to vacate the tiles even with 3 FJs dropping in England. You do bring up a good point Blue and I've been wondering, the Reds are so weak at first, it might be a good move to operate right into Barbarossa after France falls. Maybe continue east after the Polish surrender and bolster the western defenses. Anyone tried a quick Barbi?

I don't pay attention to the icon images, the CTVs are the real foundation of combat prowess. Yes there are limits due to cost and strike structure but even given this it is unlikely for a parent country, the developer of the cutting edge technology, to share it with a minor, the second tier....yes...but the best equipment...it seems a bit unlikely....my opinion, especially for Axis. The same with the Western powers sharing with the USSR.....some....but not all.

OK HC, I'll check it a little closer to make sure the subs weren't previously revealed by intel or an air spotting unit. If I took a spotted sub and initiated silent mode like at the beginning of the move as required and ran into an enemy vessel other than a DD unit, then it should pass-through? CVs wouldn't uncloak it, only DDs, right? Any other scheme you know that would prohibit the pass through?

Frankly I enjoy being a part of the public balancing of a gameplay. As far as I'm concerned Hubert and the Betas do a great job making sure the mechanics work well enough for us to test the balance, that's as far as I see their responsibility. I'll take it from here! Believe me.....I know how much time it takes to properly balance a scenario, its a huge investment with very little reward, but if we all share it, then its not so bad.:cool:

The auxiliary cruisers are a nice touch, Haven't seen them in the Pacific yet but were prevalent in the Indian Ocean. Hard to track down, I had two CAs, a BB, and a light carrier task force hunting for them. I get in a couple of hits and they scatter. The Philippines US military takeover is appropriate I believe as the situation was escalating, seems to me to be a viable what if....I like it. Still no German DoW of USSR, I'll send you a turn when I get a chance, its still early 42. I did not force Burma and the Partisan unit showed up, I also lost Rangoon very early to a significant Japanese force that will now probably threaten India. The Japs have not yet assaulted Singapore which I have significantly reinforced, we'll see how this UK colony holds out as they'll not have any RN/RAF support. The RN is a formidable force with the majority of the task groups located in the Atlantic. They have completely swept the Atlantic of Uboats and/or surface raiders and could at their leisure dominate the Med. The fricken North African theater is a real test of wills between German/Italian forces and the Commonwealth, very bloody, lots of air battles, both sides at level 3 advanced air. I really like the air battles, quite extensive, even naval forces venturing into the area better have fighter support, I've lost a BB to Ju87s and a couple of ground units even with 3 RAF fighter groups in the area with HQ support. There may be a case for anti-air units, perhaps with double strike capability, I'm still sitting on the fence about this as my fighters are intercepting with good results. The area of deployment is very restricted as the UK forces are largely fighting behind the Nile and in the Sinai. The situation is highly in doubt.

Better to DoW Vichy and then go ahead and take Spain also, close off the Med and then get USSR from the MidEast as well as the traditional Barbarossa. Of course this is only the second priority as SeaLion is the first. I'm finding it very hard, though, to excute SeeLowe, either its easier to defend UK than previous versions or my reputation precedes me.

I have always said that minors should only be able to upgrade the level below their parent's current status.

You know...I've played Rambo and I trust his judgement on this. The only P vs P game I had with the standard 39 game my opponent surrendered in 43 because I did have Leningrad and Moscow with Stalingrad about to fall, in essence my nazis were unstoppable.